He reaches up and touches the bulkhead behind his pillow. Lenie's there, Lenie's just the other side. But here, on this side there's a dark line, a rim of shadow he never noticed before. His eyes follow it around the edge of the wall, a gap about half a centimeter wide. Here and there little bits of glass are still wedged into that space.

There used to be a mirror covering this whole bulkhead. Just like Scanlon's vids. And it wasn't just removed, judging from the little fragments left behind. Somebody smashed it out.

Lenie. She went through the whole station, before the rest of them came down, and she smashed all the mirrors. He doesn't know why he's so sure, but somehow it seems like exactly the sort of thing Lenie Clarke would do when no one was looking.

Maybe she doesn't like to see herself. Maybe she's ashamed.

Go talk to her, Shadow says.

I can't.

Yes you can. I'll help you.

He picks up the tunic of his 'skin. It slithers around his body, its edges fusing together along the midline of his chest. He steps over the sleeves and leggings still spilled across the deck, reaches down for his eyecaps.

Leave them there.

No!

Yes.

I can't, she'll see me...

That's what you want, isn't it? Isn't it?

She doesn't even like me, she'll just—

Leave them. I said I'll help you.

He leans against the closed hatch, eyes shut, his breathing loud and rapid in his ears.

Go on. Go on.

The corridor outside is in deep twilight. Fischer moves along it to Lenie's sealed hatch. He touches it, afraid to knock.

From behind, someone taps his shoulder.

"She's out," Brander says. His 'skin is done right up to his neck, arms and legs completely sealed. His capped eyes are blank and hard. And there's the usual edge in his voice, that same familiar tone saying Just give me an excuse, asshole, just do anything...

Maybe he wants Lenie too.

Don't get him mad, Shadow says.

Fischer swallows. "I just wanted to talk to her."

"She's out."

"Okay. I'll...I'll try later."

Brander reaches out, pokes Fischer's face. His finger comes away sticky.

"You're cut," he says.

"It's nothing. I'm okay."

"Too bad."

Fischer tries to edge past Brander to his own cubby. The corridor pushes them together.

Brander clenches his fists. "Don't you fucking touch me."

"I'm not, I'm just trying to— I mean..." Fischer falls silent, glances around. No one else anywhere.

Deliberately, Brander relaxes.

"And for Christ's sake put your eyes back in," he says. "Nobody wants to look in there."

He turns and walks away.

* * *

They say Lubin sleeps out here. Lenie too, sometimes, but Lubin hasn't slept in his bunk since the rest of them came down. He keeps his headlight off, and he stays away from the lit part of the Throat, and nothing bothers him. Fischer heard Nakata and Caraco talking about it on the last shift.